Intel will be releasing its newest processor: the Core i7, in the days to come. The first releases of the i7 are based on the Bloomfield core, which happens to be the poster-boy for the Intel Nehalem CPU architecture. The processor uses Intel's new LGA-1366 socket, it is a quad-core processor with HyperThreading enabled.

Expreview pictured the Core i7 (non Extreme) package, which reveals a largely standard pack that's seen on Intel's processors these days. Also pictured is Intel's stock cooler for the non-Extreme i7 processors, which largely resembles the stock-coolers of most Intel processors. It consists of a central block made of copper, which makes contact with the CPU. The thermal interface material is pre-applied to it. Aluminum fins project radially from the block, which fork into thinner fins, to increase surface-area. Also included in the package is the related documentation, warranty declaration and bezel sticker. The CPU pictured by Expreview is the i7 920, clocked at 2.66 GHz, with 8 MB L3 cache. The processor has a QuickPath Interconnect speed of 4800 MT/s.

is it just me or do the fins on the cooler look a little squished ??? not the best promo pic if u ask me

Click to expand...

Yeah, in the top left corner on the second pic, one of the "forks" seems to have been crushed into its neighbors. I hope defective stock coolers aren't too common with this new release, although I'm sure none of us will stick with stock for long anyway.

I really don't like that radial design of the HSF--same goes for current Core 2s. The closer the fins are together the more likely it is to get clogged up with dust and hair. Because there is no where for junk to go if you blow at it, you have to take the HSF completely off in order to get rid of all that stuff. I'd rather they use a slot design like AMD and get rid of the damned pressure pin system.

I agree, wouldent it be nice if intel actually made a stock cooler that you dont need to replace straight away! Im going to be buying a Core i7 at launch and was hoping I could use a stock cooler until there is a decent water block but it looks im gunna have to go with one of the ones that are arround now and upgrade it in the future... :shadedshu

For a standard user of the cpu at standard settings, the standard cooler is perfect. Dust will always be an issue, but the tight fins keep the dust.

Im not interested in using any of my old coolers. CPU Coolers have come very far in the past few years, and i will be looking at something along the lines of Coolermasters V12. I also consider any fan blowing onto the pci slots or motherboard invalid for my pc usage. I respect the fact that under minor overclocking settings a fan blowing onto the motherboard does cool down mosfets and other components, but i prefer to cool them individually.

I've fried plenty o' parts when not OCing. Need to start doing it again to avoid problems...

Good to see Intel is still giving us the circular fan of death!
Yeah, it's a pretty good standard cooler, when it works...
All the Intel systems we have at work have had their coolers changed because they either started making incredibly irritating noises or they stopped working altogether. Two systems got killed because of this "beauty".
On the other side, all the AMD systems (same age as the Intel ones) still have their standard coolers and work like a charm...
Needless to say we have a big stack of standard Intel coolers in the storage room from the latest mass upgrade!

The intel stock cooler actually provides for motherboard cooling, obviously the air coming off the cooler is not as hot as the CPU is, otherwise the cooler would be more effective at removing heat than it is. The air coming off cools the vregs and caps, memory, and passively cooled northbridge chips, somewhat better overall than a tower cooler than only cools the CPU and possibly the vregs.

The design does suck from a noise standpoint, as well as the pushpins, and how fast they clog.

what do you guys think about current waterblocks? I got an email from DTEK and they have lga 1336 mounting kits available for fuzion v1/v2. Wondering if they're going to produce one that natively supports 1336 or if they need to for that matter.

I was hoping Intel and Glacial Tech would change up the design of the cooler somewhat. At work I seen a tadpole (military laptop computer system) with a dual socket motherboard with AMD opterons in them (2 quad cores). They had two thermalright low height coolers on them. Those were bad ass and came stock.

what do you guys think about current waterblocks? I got an email from DTEK and they have lga 1336 mounting kits available for fuzion v1/v2. Wondering if they're going to produce one that natively supports 1336 or if they need to for that matter.

Click to expand...

they do that so you dont have to buy a LGA1366 cooler, they will eventually release them but the one you have probably does work with it with the appropriate adapter.